Soberanes Fire Update, 9/6/16

Incident: The Soberanes Fire is burning in the Los Padres National Forest, Ventana Wilderness, Monterey County, CA. The fire was started by an illegal campfire on July 22, 2016, in Garrapata State Park. Agency Jurisdiction: CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit/Los Padres National Forest.

Current Situation: Fire remains active in areas where growth occurred over the last two days on the southern front of the fire, as well as on slopes above several interior drainages. There was continued growth in Zigzag Creek, above the head of Higgins Creek and on the slopes above Pick Creek. Fire is now established on the north facing aspect of Willow Creek to a point south of the Tassajara Zen Center.

The fire is still approximately 2 ½ miles south and west of the Zen Center. Managers began collecting data on previously used indirect lines east of Arroyo Seco in the event the fire continues spreading in that direction. Crews monitored fire in the Big Sur and Pick Creek drainages and continued holding actions on indirect control line. A new evacuation warning was issued for an area south of Anderson Peak, extending to Dolan Canyon and bounded to the east by North Coast Ridge Road. Managers looked for opportunities to secure indirect line along the east side of Coast Ridge but no firing operations occurred on Monday due to an unfavorable wind shift.

Structure protection actions continued on Partington Ridge. Crews began working around structures from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to Dolan Road, in case fire reaches that area. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) personnel have completed erosion and flooding modeling and are preparing presentations and reports for forest close-out and ICP briefings.

Evacuation Orders and Warnings: An evacuation WARNING along the Pacific Coast Highway was expanded Monday effective at 6 p.m. to include an area south of Anderson Canyon along Highway 1. The new evacuation warning includes the Big Sur-Partington/South Coast Center Area and applies to all residents and businesses east of Highway 1 starting at the intersection of Highway 1 and Grimes Canyon, extending south to the intersection of Highway 1 and Dolan Canyon. This area is bounded to the east by North Coast Ridge Road and includes all residents and businesses on Dolan Ridge Road.

The new warning is due to warmer, drier weather that has increased fire activity on the east side of North Coast Ridge Road. An evacuation WARNING remains in place for Tassajara Road from Carmel Valley Road to the Tassajara Hot Springs Zen Center. An evacuation ORDER remains in effect for North Coast Ridge Rd. from mile marker 1.5 to Marble Peak at the end of the road. Access to the businesses in the Carmel Valley and along highway 1 in Big Sur are mostly unaffected. Please stay alert and watch out for vehicles entering the highway along your route.

No Drone Zone: The public is reminded that per the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 43 CFR 9212.1(f), it is illegal to resist or interfere with the efforts of firefighter(s) to extinguish a fire. Doing so can result in a significant fine and/or a mandatory court appearance.